Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)


Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show which originally aired on the Seven Network from 2004 to 2015 and in 2019 began airing on Network 10. When it was on the Seven Network, it was filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne and on Network 10 live from Fox Studios Australia in Sydney and Docklands Studios in Melbourne.
The show is based on the British BBC Television series Strictly Come Dancing and is part of BBC Worldwide's international Dancing with the Stars franchise.
The show pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers who each week compete against each other in a dance-off to impress a panel of judges and ultimately the viewing public in order to survive potential elimination. Through telephone and SMS voting, viewers vote for the duo they think should remain in the competition. Judges' scores are combined with the viewer votes when determining which duo is eliminated.

History

The show debuted in a short run from October to November 2004, then returned the following February.
The show was a ratings success averaging around 2 million viewers a week nationally during its peak which places the series at number 1 of the entire day.
The logo used for the first seven series of Dancing with the Stars is similar to the logo used by Strictly Come Dancing. The logo used for the eighth series and beyond is similar to that used by the US version of Dancing with the Stars.
The program ended after 15 seasons, when the Seven Network announced in October 2016 it would not renew the program despite previously suggesting a sixteenth season would air in 2017.
In September 2018, the series was announced to be revived by Network 10, with TV presenters and ex-contestants Grant Denyer and Amanda Keller to host. Dancing with the Stars returned to Australian screens on Monday, 18 February 2019. In October 2019 the series was renewed for a seventeenth season and premiered on 9 February 2020.

Cast

Hosts

From seasons 1 to 7, entertainment legend Daryl Somers and dancer/actress/television presenter Sonia Kruger were the two primary hosts. For season 8, Somers was replaced by actor Daniel MacPherson, when Somers returned to the Nine network to host the rebooted Hey Hey, It's Saturday. Kruger continued to co-host with MacPherson, until the start of season 12, when she also defected to the Nine network. Kruger was subsequently replaced by former Spice Girl Melanie Brown. In 2013, Brown was replaced by Sunrise weather presenter Edwina Bartholomew. In 2015, Shane Bourne replaced Daniel MacPherson as co-host.
It was announced in September 2018 that in 2019, a 16th season would begin. A whole new cast and crew will be involved in a new production with a 'fresh look' with Grant Denyer and Amanda Keller co-hosting.
Key: Previous Current

Judges

From seasons 1 to 7, the judging panel consisted of four primary judges: Todd McKenney, Helen Richey, Paul Mercurio and Mark Wilson. At the start of season 8, Mercurio left the judging panel. Before the eleventh season began, Wilson was dumped by the Seven network and replaced by Joshua Horner. McKenney, Richey and Horner have made up the primary judging panel since 2011. Kym Johnson who comes from the United States version of Dancing with the Stars and Adam Garcia join the judging panel in 2013. In 2015, Bruno Tonioli replaced Garcia as a judge for the first three weeks before leaving just three judges for the rest of the season.
Ian "Dicko" Dickson and Bruno Tonioli have also appeared as guest judges throughout the series, providing feedback and scores as part of their judging role. Pamela Anderson, Damian Whitewood, Olivia Newton-John and Dame Edna Everage have also appeared as guest judges on the Seven Network series, but providing comments and feedback only.
For season 16, the judging panel consisted of three primary judges: Craig Revel Horwood, Sharna Burgess and Tristan MacManus.
Key: Previous Current

Professional partners

Series overview

Dances

The following are the dances performed by couples on Dancing with the Stars. In addition, each couple in the final round performs a dance of any style or combination of styles of their choosing, called "freestyle".
DanceSeasons usedBest PerformanceScoreWorst PerformanceScore
Argentine Tango5–7, 11-presentArianne Caoili
Damien Leith
Cosentino
Emma Freedman
30Samantha Armytage19
Aussie Smooth9–10Tamara Jaber27Gerrard Gosens16
Cha-Cha-ChaAll seasonsDanielle Spencer
Haley Bracken
David Rodan*
30Mark Occhilupo7
Charleston17Celia Pacquola28Chloe Lattanzi23
Contemporary13–presentDavid Rodan
Ash Pollard
Matthew Mitcham
30Constance Hall17
FoxtrotAll seasonsJohnny Ruffo
Mat Rogers
29David Graham3*
FreestyleAll seasonsBec Cartwright
Tom Williams
Chris Bath
Grant Denyer
Arianne Caoili
Anthony Koutoufides
Kate Ceberano
Bridie Carter
Luke Jacobz
Matt White
Rob Palmer
Manu Feildel
Johnny Ruffo
David Rodan*
Emma Freedman
Courtney Act
30Kostya Tszyu
Constance Hall
24*
Jazz13-presentSamuel Johnson29Mark Holden3*
JiveAll seasonsTina Arena*
Emma Freedman*
Celia Pacquola
30Jessica Watson8
Paso DobleAll seasonsGrant Denyer
Tina Arena
Ricki-Lee Coulter*
Emma Freedman
30David Graham3*
QuickstepAll seasonsPaul Licuria
Haley Bracken
Arianne Caoili
Tom Williams
Zoe Cramond
David Rodan*
30Adam Brand9
RumbaAll seasonsTamara Jaber
Zoe Cramond
Chris Bath
Rhiannon Fish*
30Samantha Armytage11
Salsa5–10, 12, 14-presentTamara Jaber30Gerrard Gosens8
SambaAll seasonsBridie Carter
Rhiannon Fish
30Jessica Rowe9*
TangoAll seasonsPaul Licuria
Arianne Caoili
Claudia Karvan
30Chris Hemsworth*
Dean Wells
12
Viennese Waltz4–presentMat Rogers29Cassandra Thorburn
Curtly Ambrose
Ed Kavalee
10
WaltzAll seasonsHaley Bracken
Ada Nicodemou
30Derryn Hinch12*
West Coast Swing8–10Luke Jacobz28Adam Brand12

In late 2005, the winners of series two and three competed against each other for the title of Champion of Champions. Series one winner Bec Hewitt did not compete as she was pregnant at the time. Ada Nicodemou and her partner Aric Yegudkin won the championship, defeating Tom Williams and his partner, Kym Johnson, based on the judges' scores.

Scoring chart

CouplePlace121+2
Ada & Aric131+31+31=9329+33+38=100193
Tom & Kym225+33+33=9126+31+40=97188

Highest-scoring celebrities

The scores presented below represent the best overall accumulative average scores the celebrity gained.
RankSeasonPlaceCelebrityProfessionalAverage score
1151Emma FreedmanAric Yegudkin27.8
252Arianne CaoiliCarmello Pizzino27.5*
3122Danielle SpencerDamian Whitewood27.5
463Tim CampbellNatalie Lowe27.1*
5133Tina ArenaDamian Whitewood26.9*
581Luke JacobzLuda Kroiter26.9
571Bridie CarterCraig Monley26.9*
5123Zoe CramondAric Yegudkin26.9
9102Tamara JaberCarmello Pizzino26.6
9152Matthew MitchamMasha Belash26.6

The scores presented below represent the perfect scores which the celebrities gained in their original season.
# of 30/40sSeasonPlaceCelebrity
5141stDavid Rodan
45
15
2nd
1st
Arianne Caoili
Emma Freedman
34
11
1st
2nd
Grant Denyer
Haley Bracken
22
3
7
10
12
13
13
17
1st
2nd
1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
2nd
3rd
Tom Williams
Chris Bath
Bridie Carter
Tamara Jaber
Zoe Cramond
Tina Arena
Rhiannon Fish
Claudia Karvan
11
3
5
6
8
8
9
10
11
11
12
12
13
14
15
15
16
17
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
3rd
2nd
1st
3rd
1st
2nd
1st
1st
3rd
2nd
3rd
2nd
1st
Bec Cartwright
Ada Nicodemou
Anthony Koutoufides
Kate Ceberano
Luke Jacobz
Paul Licuria
Matt White
Rob Palmer
Damien Leith
Manu Feildel
Danielle Spencer
Johnny Ruffo
Cosentino
Ricki-Lee Coulter
Matthew Mitcham
Ash Pollard
Courtney Act
Celia Pacquola

Ratings